1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an half-fitting prevention connector set in which not only the mutual fitting of female and male connectors is released by the repulsion force of an elastic member when the female and male connectors are left in an half-fitted state but also the female and male connectors are locked securely when they are perfectly fitted to each other.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, various connector sets are known as half-fitting prevention connector sets. For example, an half-fitting prevention connector set disclosed in JU-A-5-81967, or the like, is known.
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a pin-side connector 100 has a plurality of pin contacts 102 arrayed in its inside, and mount flanges 100a provided in opposite side portions. A socket-side connector 101 has a plurality of socket contacts 103 arrayed in its inside, and electric wires 103a connected to the socket contacts 103 respectively, as shown in FIG. 16.
The pin-side connector 100 has a box-like housing 104 having an opened front portion. Guide plates 105 for guiding the pin-side connector 100 to be fitted to the socket-side connector 101 are provided in the inside of the housing 104 so as to partition the inside, at the center, into upper and lower parts. As shown in FIG. 16, the pin contacts 102 are provided in the inside of the housing 104 so as to project forward from the rear portion. A notch 104e is provided in the center portion of a cover plate 104d provided on the upper portion of the housing 104. An engagement piece 106 is formed in front of the notch 104e integrally with the cover plate 104d. A front end of the engagement piece 106 is set back from the front end edge of the housing 104 and has such flexibility as to be able to be curved slightly upward. An engagement protrusion 106a is provided at an end portion of the engagement piece 106 so as to project inward.
The socket-side connector 101 has a box-like housing 107 which has such a size that the housing 107 can be fitted into the opening of the housing 104 of the pin-side connector 100. Pin holes 108 into which the pin contacts 102 are to be inserted and slots 109 into which the guide plates 105 are to be inserted are provided in the front portion of the housing 107.
The outside of the housing 107 is covered, except its front and rear portions, with a movable cover 110 so that the movable cover 110 can move back and forth. An opening portion 111 for insertion of the socket-side connector 100 is provided in the front portion of the movable cover 110. The opening portion 111 has a size which is large enough so that a pair of opposite side plates 104a, a ceiling plate 104b and a bottom plate 104c of the housing 104 of the pin-side connector 100 can be inserted into the opening portion 111. However, when the engagement protrusion 106a of the engagement piece 106 abuts on the front end surface of the housing 107 and the engagement piece 106 is bent outward, the front end of the engagement piece 106 strikes the edge of the opening portion 111 so that the opposite side plates 104a, the ceiling plate 104b and the bottom plate 104c cannot be inserted into the opening portion 111.
Spring receiving portions (not shown) are provided so as to be opposite to each other in the opposite side portions of the housing 107 and the movable cover 110. Springs 114 are disposed in the spring receiving portions respectively so as to be extended in the front-rear direction, as indicated by the dot line in FIG. 15. The movable cover 110 is normally pressed forward, that is, leftward in FIG. 15 by the spring 114 but locked by elongated holes 115 provided in the upper portion of the cover 110 and by protrusions 116 provided on the upper portion of the housing 107 and inserted in the elongated holes 115 respectively. An engagement groove 117 is provided in a top portion of the housing 107 so that the engagement protrusion 106a of the engagement piece 106 engages with the engagement groove 117 in a state of perfect connection. The engagement groove 117 is located in such a position that it is normally covered with the movable cover 110 but it is revealed when the movable cover 110 is moved backward.
When the aforementioned connectors 100 and 101 are fitted to each other, the pin contacts 102 and the socket contacts 103 touch each other as shown in FIG. 16 so that the engagement protrusion 106a engages with the engagement groove 117. In the perfect fitting state, the contracted springs 114 are restored and the engagement piece 106 is covered with the movable cover 110 so that there is no room for disengaging the engagement protrusion 106a from the engagement groove 117. Accordingly, the connection state is kept securely.
On the other hand, in an half fitting state, that is, in an improper fitting state, the engagement protrusion 106a runs onto the ceiling of the housing 107 so that the engagement piece 106 is bent upward. Accordingly, the front end of the engagement piece 106 strikes the opening edge of the movable cover 110 and the springs 114 are contracted. Accordingly, the movable cover 110 presses the engagement piece 116 on the basis of the repulsion force of the springs 114, so that the two connectors 100 and 101 are departed from each other so as not to be fitted to each other at all.
Although the aforementioned connectors can be prevented from being half-fitted to each other, the movable cover 110 is not moved so that the connectors cannot be fitted to each other if the opposite sides of the movable cover 110 are gripped to perform the fitting. Further, the engagement piece 106 is located on the housing 107 so as not to be covered with the housing 107 at the time of perfect fitting. Accordingly, there arises a problem that, when external force is applied to the movable cover 110, the engagement piece 106 may move easily so that the connectors are disconnected unexpectedry even they are in a fitting state.
To release the connectors from the fitting state, the two connectors must be disconnected from each other while the movable cover 110 is pulled in the connector fitting direction and the revealed engagement piece 106 is bent upward by a tool, or the like. This operation is difficult to be carried out by one operating person. There arises a problem in workability.